Scotland Office Minister visits Cairnryan and Belfast to see immigration policing at work

The Scotland Office Minister David Mundell is in Northern Ireland today (Tuesday 24 July) to see first-hand how the UK Border Agency (UKBA) monitors the Common Travel Area, before returning to Cairnryan by ferry tomorrow to meet Dumfries & Galloway Police and other stakeholders to discuss the policing of the Galloway ports.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The Scotland Office Minister David Mundell is in Northern Ireland today (Tuesday 24 July) to see first-hand how the UK Border Agency (UKBA) monitors the Common Travel Area, before returning to Cairnryan by ferry tomorrow to meet Dumfries & Galloway Police and other stakeholders to discuss the policing of the Galloway ports.

The tour will include a meeting with the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Minister of Justice for the Northern Ireland Executive, as well as tours of Belfast City immigration control and a briefing from the team responsible for the oversight of Common Travel Area operations.

In Cairnryan, the Minister will meet interested stakeholders, local politicians and representatives of Dumfries & Galloway Police for a discussion on a recent UKBA report which reviewed working practices in place to help prevent illegal immigration through the port.

Speaking ahead of the visit, David Mundell said:

“The security of our borders is of paramount importance to all of us and I shall be looking closely at the way the arrangements are working on both the Northern Ireland and Scottish sides.

“Over the past 18 months UKBA and Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary have worked collaboratively on the policing of Stranraer Ports. Their combined efforts have ensured that a greater number of illegal immigrants have been intercepted in their attempts to travel onto mainland UK. That is a good thing which everyone should welcome.

“The key to resolving this issue is working with the Irish Republic to ensure that it is not as attractive for people to come into their country and through the Common Travel Area into the UK. Understandably, the Northern Ireland Executive want to ensure freedom of travel within Ireland as envisaged by the Good Friday Agreement and don’t want the crossings to another part of the UK turned into an international border. We have to recognise and work with these sensitivities and that why I am going to Belfast ahead of my visit to Cairnryan.

“I look forward to meeting with Dumfries and Galloway Police and other interested stakeholders to see the ongoing work there for myself and discuss how we continue to move forward.”

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